BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Moravian College used a late first half run to take a comfortable lead into the locker room at halftime, and Juniata College was never able to overcome the difference in the second stanza as the Eagle men's basketball team fell to the Greyhounds 77-62, Saturday afternoon in Bethlehem, Pa.
Juniata (12-8, 5-4 Landmark) trailed the Hounds by just one point, 24-23, with 3:38 remaining in the opening frame. Moravian's Steve Siracusa made a layup to stretch the Greyhound lead to 26-23, launching a 10-2 run over the remainder of the first half that gave Moravian a 34-25 lead at the intermission.
The Eagles were able to cut the Moravian lead to seven points several times during the second half, the last coming with 6:46 remaining following a pair of free throws by Kyle Opitz (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine Richland) that cut the Greyhound lead to 57-50.
After a three-pointer by Eric Mueseler (Latrobe, Pa./Latrobe) with 3:12 to play reduced the Greyhound lead to eight points, 66-58, the Eagles began fouling in an effort to catch Moravian. The Hounds defended their lead by shooting 11-of-12 at the free-throw line over the final two-and-a-half minutes, while Juniata was 1-of-5 from the floor over that same stretch.
Brian Cannon (Fallston, Md./Fallston) led the Eagles with 14 points, while Opitz chipped in with 13 and Mueseler added 10. Four Greyhounds scored in double-figures, led by Ryan Miller with 22 points.
Juniata shot a respectable 42.6% (23-54) from the field, but the Greyhounds surpassed the Eagles by shooting 50.0% (23-54). The Eagles committed 18 turnovers, leading to 24 Moravian points.
Juniata returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 9, when it hosts Catholic University at the Kennedy Sports + Recreation Center in Huntingdon, Pa.
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